Terror returns to London

THREE more victims of last Saturday’s terrorist atrocity in London, in addition to the five deaths initially recorded, have now been recorded, including that of a courageous Spaniard.

Ignacio Echeverría, who lived in the city and worked for HSBC bank, was last seen during the attack, which began with a van mowing down people on London Bridge.

The 39-year-old, who grew up in Madrid, was returning with friends from a skate-boarding trip in a park, when they saw a woman being stabbed in Borough Market, near the bridge.

“At that point he jumped off his bike and hit the assailant with his skateboard,” said his grieving sister, Ana, who also lives in the capital.

“The last time his friends saw him, he was lying on the ground after defending the woman. He was brave, getting involved to save her.”

Ignacio, who had been missing since then, was identified, via a DNA test.

The final victim named was Xavier Thomas, a 45-year-old French national, visiting London for the weekend with his girlfriend, Christine Delcros.

They were both struck by the van, and witnesses reported him being thrown into the water. His partner survived the collision and was taken to hospital, seriously injured, although her condition has now stabilised.

Xavier’s body was recovered by the marine police unit, on Tuesday evening near Limehouse.

In addition to the eight deaths, 48 people were injured in the horrendous assault, 18 of them critically, and hospitals are still caring for up to 32 patients.

The three killers, armed with knives, clattered into pedestrians on London Bridge in their van, before climbing out and descending on nearby Borough Market. There, they stabbed a policeman initially, then, randomly, as many revellers there as possible.

From start to finish, the carnage lasted just eight minutes. Armed police, responding rapidly to an emergency call, shot all three killers, two of whom lived in Barking, East London, and the third in nearby Ilford.

It was the UK’s third terrorist attack since 22nd March, when the Westminster Bridge disaster occurred. And two weeks ago came the Manchester Arena bombing.

On Tuesday, the people of Adeje joined with many thousands across the UK in observing a minute’s silence.

Mayor José Miguel Rodríguez Fraga said: “There was no justification for violence, and we are demonstrating our utter rejection of these attacks, as well as standing shoulder to shoulder with the victims, their families and the people of London.”

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on Jun 9 2017. Filed under World News.
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